Household Hazardous Waste Collection Scheduled
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - On Saturday, October 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Great Barrington Recycling Center, the Center for Ecological Technology (CETsm) will coordinate a comprehensive hazardous waste collection for the 15 towns that comprise the South Berkshire Household Hazardous Waste Collaborative.Only residents of these 15 towns are eligible to participate. The towns include Alford, Becket, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Richmond, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham and West Stockbridge. Registration is required.
From the workbench and garage, acceptable materials include oil-based paints, stains and varnishes, wood preservatives, paint strippers/thinners, solvent adhesives, lighter fluid, acid, fuels/gasoline/kerosene, antifreeze, degreasers, driveway sealer, brake fluid/carburetor cleaner, transmission fluid, car wax, polishes, roofing tar, pool chemicals, and fluorescent lamps.
From the yard and house, materials include poisons, insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers, weed killers, moth balls, flea control products, rubber cement, airplane glue, fiberglass resins, photo chemicals, chemistry sets, floor and metal polish, oven cleaner, drain and toilet cleaner, spot remover, rug and upholstery cleaner, hobby/artist supplies, mercury thermometers, thermostats, button batteries and rechargeable batteries.
Televisions, computer systems and other electronics will be accepted for a fee of $15 and up, depending on size. No console or big screen televisions will be accepted. Products that contain mercury, such as fever thermometers and button batteries, found in watches and hearing aides, may also be brought to the collection. There will be a digital fever thermometer exchange (one per household) for mercury fever thermometers brought to this collection.
Rechargeable batteries, such as those used in cell phones and tools, will be accepted as well. Alkaline batteries may be disposed of with ordinary household trash.
Latex paint will not be accepted at this event. Empty or dried up cans of latex paint can be disposed with the regular trash. Empty cans of oil-based paint, stains and solvents can be disposed with the regular trash as well. Usable paints/stains can be given away on freecycle.org or craigslist.com.
For more information about what can be brought to the collection, visit cetonline.org, or call us at 1-888-577-8448, ext. 30 or 14, or email robt@cetonline.org. Residents from communities that are not participating should call their City or Town Hall for information about household hazardous product collections.
CET is a non-profit organization working in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste management and environmental education. CET provides practical solutions that make sense for our community, economy and environment. CET is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
